The administration of Islamic University (IU) has installed steel frames inscribed with the kalima at the university’s main gate and in front of the central mosque building. The frames were put up on Thursday (September 24), and students have welcomed the move.
According to the university administration, the initiative is meant to highlight Islamic University’s distinctive character alongside its combination of Islamic and general education. Because the university has certain specialised features, the kalima inscriptions were installed in keeping with those features and traditions.
“Putting up structures bearing the kalima at the main gate and in front of the mosque is certainly positive, and in line with the purpose for which the university was founded,” said Twaki Wasif, an economics student of the 2019-20 session. “But what matters is protecting the sanctity of these sacred words. I hope the administration will make sure their sanctity is preserved now that they have been put up.”
“Installing a monogram inscribed with the kalima at IU’s main gate and central mosque is undoubtedly a commendable initiative,” said Junaidul Mostafa, a student of applied chemistry and chemical engineering. “But the design of the monogram on the main gate did not seem to fit fully with the gate’s overall architecture. If it had been placed more aesthetically and carefully, at either the gate or the entrance, it would have been more attractive to everyone.”
“Like other universities, Islamic University offers study and research in engineering, science, social science, history, culture and other subjects,” said vice-chancellor Professor Dr AKM Matinur Rahman. “But alongside that, Islamic University has some special features that other universities do not. Our university offers study and research in specialised areas of Islamic education, including the Quran and hadith, which other universities do not.”
“Islamic University is like other universities, but because of these special features it can also be called a specialised university,” he said. “President Ziaur Rahman founded the university on November 22, 1979, to combine Islamic and general education. The kalima inscriptions have been installed at the main gate and in front of the central mosque with these distinctive features and traditions in mind.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report